The boys of summer start to wrap up

Wednesday

Jul 9, 2014 at 5:55 AM

Kirksville sweeps visiting Knox County in the last home match

Paul Halfacre Sports Editor @phalfacre_kde

KIRKSVILLE – Summer vacation may have started two months ago and school may have been out since May, but the Kirksville baseball program is just now coming to a close before the fall sports can take over.

The Tigers wanted to show their fans even more of a glimpse of the potential stirring in their program as they swept the doubleheader against Knox County on Tuesday evening in their final home games of the summer season. In the first game, Kirksville overcame a shaky start to win, 15-6, while in the second game the Tigers grabbed an early lead and never looked back for a 7-1 victory.

“The younger kids are really learning and coming around and figuring out the game,” coach Paul Stuart said.

In the first game, Kirksville started slow, only grabbing one run in the first inning, but in the second inning the Tigers pounded out six more runs to take a commanding lead before they cruised to the victory.

The second game saw Kirksville take advantage of three errors and two passed balls in the first two innings to grab four quick runs and then used solid pitching to complete the sweep.

“The pitchers are doing well this year, I’ve been really impressed with our pitchers this year,” Stuart said. “They are throwing strikes consistently, of course every once in a while you have a bad day, but they’ve stayed consistent and it makes coaching easier.”

Throughout the season the coaching staff has seen a marked improvement in the team’s attitude.

Whether it is coming together as a team or it’s playing a little bit harder when they’re behind on the scoreboard, the coaching staff has tried to instill the right attitude into the team.

“They’ve learned to battle back now and that’s the whole goal,” coach Eric Killday said. “When you get down you’ve got to push yourself a little more and I think they are coming together as a team and that’s what we want.”

The season may have started off a little helter skelter but the summer Tigers found their groove and it’s been smooth sailing since.

Throughout the season the coaching staff has imparted their knowledge to the players and also had some fun with the team to keep the atmosphere light in the dugout.

“It started real hectic, making sure the boys had a place to play, making sure we’ve had a head count of how many we’d have to play and stuff like that, then it kind of settled down and got into a rhythm. We got to start playing and it’s been a pretty good year so I’ve been pretty pleased,” Stuart said. “I think they’ve had fun but we’re starting to wind it down.”

“I think we’ve helped them, the team is playing and learning from each other more and more and I think that’s the goal more than anything,” Killday said. “The more you play the better you get.”

Another thing that the team started doing more as the year went on was having some of the high school varsity players assume the role of first and third base coach. In the second game of the doubleheader, Grant Novinger and Dylan Lewis were out there in the field directing traffic and showing the players some of the little tells of the opposing defense.

“We know the players pretty well so we have a lot of fun with it,” Novinger said. “Paul Stuart and Eric Killday said that we’re kind of coaching ourselves this year and that was great and by the end of the season we were kind of doing just that.”

On the other side, Knox County may have lost the doubleheader, but coach Michael O’Haver is pleased with the progress he’s seen from the young kids in his program this summer.

“With the kids being as busy as they are during the summer it’s kind of hit or miss and we’re developing some young guys,” O’Haver said. “It’s just one of those things about why you’ve got to get out here in the summer. You have to do some of that stuff.”

The Eagles program is also starting to kick around the idea of developing a fall league to keep some of their athletes on the diamond year round to help kick start a program that will be young next season.

“We’re predominately going to be young next year and we’ll take our lumps but you’ve just got to see how it goes,” O’Haver said. “I’ve talked to a couple of young guys who have played for me in the past and I think they are going to take over a fall program and plan a fall league so we’re really trying to do some extra stuff to develop the players.”